I'll Keep Your Memory Vague
by Realynn8
Summary: Claire is living with her biological family in New York and she and Peter cross the line. Therefore, he decided to fix this ‘mistake’ even if it breaks his heart.


**I'll Keep Your Memory Vague**

**Lyrics by Finger Eleven**

**Disclaimer**: This is my first kind of song fic and my first Paire fic. This is Paire canon, so if you don't like this kind of fics, do not read this.

I don't own anything; none of the characters belong to me.

**Summary**: Claire is living with her biological family in New York and she crosses the line with Peter. Therefore, he decided to fix this 'mistake' even if it breaks his heart.

They have been dancing around this issue for a while now. He first felt the connection on the evening he saved her life. Ironic, he found out not so long after that that she was his niece. Nathan's daughter. And that was ok, that was not a problem, cause the connection must have been there because they were family. Right?

Wrong.

Claire run away from her adoptive family and was living at the Petrelli residence now. He still felt a need to protect her and that is why he stayed close. Plus, the connection was still there. They became friends, got close. She didn't know anyone in New York, Angela was Angela, Nathan was getting used to her and although Heidi was nice to her, she had to get used to the idea of suddenly having a stepdaughter and the fact that Nathan never told her about Claire. So normally Peter was the turn-to guy. He was there for her and helped her adapt. He helped her with her relationship with Nathan; he showed her around New York and helped her pick out a school.

They got into a comfortable routine. She went to school, he went to work and in the afternoons or evenings the were hanging out, going out for snacks or dinners, watching a movie or just goofing around. Everyone noticed they were close, and everyone was ok with it, they were family after all. Even Peter and Claire thought that. At first.

Peter first noticed there was something wrong when she brought a boyfriend home with her. At first he though he was just being overprotective but at night, in his apartment, he admitted to himself, he was jealous. And it was wrong, so wrong, cause she was his niece, his freaking niece! So he tried to forget his little infatuation with his own niece and even started dating. But it didn't help. It even made it worst, cause at one of Nathan's functions, he noticed the looks Claire was sending the girl he was with that evening. And that was the day when he realized they were both screwed up. Seriously screwed up. And they couldn't do anything about it.

And so they have been dancing around this issue for the last two years. But they never crossed the line. Not once. They also never talked about it. They rather both pretended nothing was wrong, although they were both suffocating on the inside. Until that evening when everything changed.

It was a Saturday evening and they were all supposed to have dinner at the Petrelli residence. But something came up and Nathan had to fly to Washington for the week and he took Heidi and the boys with him. Angela was also nowhere to be seen and who know where she was off to. The thing was that nobody told Peter the plans have changed.

Claire was alone and she didn't know what to do. She was watching a stupid movie and was just plain bored. At times like these when she was alone, she always ended up doing the same thing. Thinking about Peter. Peter and his warm eyes. Peter and his now short hair (He cut the hair in an effort to make Claire not so attracted to him anymore. He failed.). Peter and his hot body. And this was the moment the doorbell rang.

She was pissed that someone dared to interrupt her Peter time. She opened the door and there stood Peter, completely wet from the rain. He was wearing black jeans, a white shirt and a black coat. Water was dripping from his face, his clothes were soaking wet. And never in her life Claire had seen something so attractive and hot.

She pulled him inside and pushed him against the wall. Peter was so surprised he didn't even resist. She pushed herself against him and kissed him. She put all her lust, her wanting and her emotions into that single kiss. He felt everything they didn't say or do in the past couple of years. And he didn't have the power to break the kiss, so he kissed her back. He grabbed her and they switched positions, Claire now being pushed against the wall. He looked into her eyes and all she said was. "We are alone."

He didn't think, didn't ponder about it, just kissed her again cause they both knew if they thought about it, they would stop it. And neither wanted to stop. He picked her up and took her to her bedroom upstairs.

He woke up in the morning, kissed her and told her how much he loved her. And then he left. The night had been magical. The first time they made love it was hasty, filled with lust and need. The second time they took their time. The third time it happened in the shower. And it was amazing. They fit so well together and it was a cruel joke that destiny played on them.

He was drinking his coffee at his apartment, thinking about what they did. They crossed the line and there was no way back. But he had to fix this, cause they were not alone in this. He had to think about Nathan and mother. Angela would suffer a severe blow and it would frankly destroy Nathan. And neither deserved this. It would break up the family and Claire would be devastated. There was also the option of sneaking around but in his opinion that wasn't a life for neither of them. Claire deserved to be happy and she deserved to have a normal life, at least as normal as possible. She deserved to have a boyfriend she could bring home, a boyfriend she could marry and have children with. He knew in his heart that it wasn't his choice to make, but his head told him to be responsible and be the grown up. He knew Claire would insist on them being together, he knew how hard it has been for the both of them this past couple of years and he decided he had to change things.

_This won't break your heart  
But I just think it could  
Cause I haven't tried as hard as I should  
To separate you from everything I do  
But I would never want to come between us two  
_

So he called the Haitian and asked him for help. He knew he could trust the quiet man. He asked him to erase all the memories Claire might have of their night together and to try and erase her feeling for him, the ones that had nothing to do with them being family. Haitian understood what Peter wanted and did as he was asked. He knew it was the best for both of them.

Claire didn't remember anything and they were back to being friends. He didn't think about what he did too much, cause in his heart he knew he did wrong, but his head told him it was the only right thing to do. Claire didn't deserve to live with this burden and he would manage. Somehow. He tried to stay away from her as much as possible, but just couldn't. Every time he was away he missed her smile and her eyes. He missed their banter. So, he kept staying close but not too close. It was a nightmare to be with her but not being with her. But it was a nightmare he wasn't prepared to give up.

_I'll keep your memory vague  
So you won't feel bad about me  
I'll say the things that you said  
Sometimes so it reminds me  
_

His visits were still frequent, although not that frequent as before. He came over often enough that she didn't feel the change. Sometimes he had to remind himself of why he did what he did, because being there with her and at the same time being the only one that remembered their night together and being the one with feelings for her was driving him crazy. He wanted to kiss her again, make love to her again. But then he had remembered the consequences his actions would have. He loved her too much to bring her into this mess. It was his personal hell and he would gladly live everyday in it if it would make her safe and happy. Cause in the end all that mattered was she.

_Now I'm thinking back  
To what I said before  
I hope your heart won't have to hurt anymore  
Cause it's really not that sad from here  
Because the moments I can feel you near  
They keep you close to me my dear  
And if they ever become too clear...  
_

He knew she was missing something. He saw it in her eyes. She was confused as if she couldn't put all the pieces together. He just hoped she never remembered, she never figured out what she was missing. He would do anything to keep her happy. Cause if she was happy, his hell was not that bad. And he could still be in her company, feel her and just be with her without actually being with her. He knew it could quite possible destroy him, but he didn't care. He didn't care at all. But he must be careful, cause she can never find out about his feelings. She can never realize he is jealous when he sees her with another boy, she must never realize he dreams about her every night, she must never realize that she is his world.

_Now you've gone away  
Don't worry it's ok  
That you're gone away  
Further than yesterday  
But you'll never leave these scenes  
My mind replays  
_

She got married and his heart broke. But that is what he wanted, right? He wanted for her to be happy. He didn't see her that much anymore. She still came to dinner once a week and sometimes to brunch as well. He is a broken man but all that matters is that she is happy. And he still sees her, they are still friends and nothing could ever change that. He knew that despite all of this, she was as much his as he is hers. She just didn't know it. So he remembered for the both of them.

_Where in the world have you gone now?_

_I'll keep your memory vague  
So you won't feel bad about me  
I'll say the things that you said  
Sometimes so it reminds me  
_

_I'll keep your memory vague  
So you won't feel bad about me  
I'll say the things that you said  
Sometimes so it reminds me_

Please review. :) Thanks.


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